Petefis



sTATss PATENT Tric,

WM. DARKER, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO J. B.THOMPSON, OF SAME PLAGE.

WATER-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,842, dated July 6, 1858.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM DARKER, J r., of the city and county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Vater-Meters; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinalsection through the center of ameter, constructed after the improved plan. Fig. 2, is a verticaltransverse section of ditto, at the angular dotted line l, l, of Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in combining andarranging with an oscillating piston, inclosed in a box, a series ofparts for operating a slide valve connected with the registeringapparatus, in such a manner as to cause the valve to be moved at the endof each oscillation of the piston.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

The oscillating piston A, is suspended on steel center points, enteringcorresponding openings in the ends of its shaft, and operates in asomewhat corresponding manner to the oscillating piston of my vibratorysteam engine, patented July 22d, 1856. It has two plates at its end ofthe form of a sector, which are connected together at their peripheriesby a horizontal segmental plate, extending equal distances from thesides of the piston, so as to form buckets. This piston, with itsbuckets on either side, is inclosed in a water tight box B, which isdivided into two compartments C, C, between which all escapement ofwater is prevented by suitable rubber or other packing, between thesides of the box and the end plates of the piston, and the partitions D,D', and the shaft and segmental plate of the piston. The piston has twosprings E, E', secured to its sides, which springs extend downward oneither side of the piston, and are bent at an acute angle near thesegmental portion of the buckets, and are extended in segmental curvesfrom the piston to near the edges of the said buckets, and are providedwith studs or pins at their ends on which are secured small frictionrollers F, F', projecting from the sides of the same. These rollers F,F, are caused to roll on the outer surfaces of curved cams G, G, intheir upward motions with the buckets, which cams are secured to the topof the box B, near its ends, and are extended downward from the sameeccentrically with the center on which the pistons vibrate, in such amanner as to bring their lower and upper ends in such relative positionsto the said center, and the arc of the circle on which the rollersoscillate, as to cause the springs E, E, to be distended in their upwardmovement, and the rollers F, F', to be brought violently against thevalve rods H, H, after being disengaged from the cams, the upper ends ofthe parts of said cams on which the rollers traverse terminating therequired distance below the top of the box B, to enable the rollers torun over the same.

On top of the box is formed a valve chest I, having a pipe J, insertedin its upper part for the admission of water to the meter, andcont-aining a reciprocating valve K, having a channel L, formed at itslower part, which is, alternately, by the reciprocating movement of thevalve, made to communicate with openings M, M, in the top of the box,communicating respectively with the compartments into which it isdivided and with the eduction channel or pipe P. Horizontal angular rodsH, H, are attached to the ends of the valve K, which rods extenddownward from the same through slots in the top of the box and are bentat right angles and extended horizontally through guides O, O', towardthe tops of the cams immediately opposite and near which they terminate,being bent downward at these ends so as to enable the rollers to strikethem fairly, when disengaged from the cams.

The operation is as follows: We will suppose the piston A, and valve K,to be in the position represented in Fig. 1, when the flow of watercommences. It descends through the uncovered opening M, into theapartment C', immediately under, and by its pressure against the pistoncauses it to oscillate, and the friction roller F, of the ascendingspring E, to press over the outer surface of cam Gr, and the saidspring'to be gradually distended until the roller reaches the space atthe upper end of the cam G, when it is disengaged therefrom and by theelasticity of the spring, is brought against the end of the rod H, witha sufficient force to move the valve and cover the opening M, and openthe one (M) leading into the compartment C, and cause the channel L, tobe brought in communication with the said opening M', and the eductionor discharge channel. This Will bring the action of the Water on theopposite side of the piston and cause it to be oscillated to the rightuntil the roller F, on the spring E', reaches the space at the top ofthe cam Gr, When it is disengaged therefrom and is caused to operate o-nthe rod H, and move the valve K, to the left, in precisely the samemanner that it was previously moved to the right, and in this WILLIAMDARKER, JR.

l/Vitnesses SAMUEL Ross, WILLIAM FROST.

